The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-06-02
rm OPERA aRoKRN or.
A Fire Starts In q wing OF q Theatr:
I'm Parls.-Th0 Horrible Scenes
That Er0INovwad

L . Zn6AlH9
In ParAs.-The Horrible Scenes
That Followed.
PARIS, May 25.-The Opera Comique
took fire this evening. The whole
building is now wrapped in flames.
Several persons were injured.
The fire broke out during the first
act of the opera "Mignon." One of
wings caught fire from gas jet and
the entire stage was Immediately en-
veloped in flames and the fire soon
spread to the whole house. Manager
Miller, Nine. TaSqui and Bernard were
on the stage when the fire broke out
and all the actors ran out in stage cos
tune. The audience got off easily but
the gas was turned off before all left
the building and it is feared that some
were left in the upper tiers. The roof
soon fell in sending sparks as far as
Place de La Bourse. With the excep-
ton of Madame Tollieri who persisted,
| all the actors escaped, though several
| SupernumerarieS were injured severely
Five bodies terribly burned were con-
veyed to the National library; among
them was the body of woman clasp
ing a little boy in her arms. The
money receipts were saved, being de-
posted in Gauloi's office. The firemen
| showed the greatest courage. Nine.
Goblet, Thibaulgre and Grenor were on
| the spot soon after the fire started and
remained throughout with the firemen.
The Military club rendered great assis-
tance in working and rescuing people
| from the building.
THE DEAD.
Nineteen persons are known to be
dead, many of these supers. The arti-
| fetal fire apparatus which had been
placed in readiness for the burning of
| the palace in the second act was rolled
down from its place near the roof and
exploded. A woman half clad, carry
ing costumes, fled from the stage. Ush-
erS and members of the chorus we're
terrified, and some of the latter fed
with nothing on but tights. The flames
spread with such rapidity in fifteen
minutes that the stage was a vast fur
mace. Several actors escaped by climb
ing to the roof on the side of the Rue
Saravanta, where they were rescued by
fire escapes. NJ. Qasquin implored the
audience to remain seated until the
exits were opened, which they did. If
loss of life would have been
terrible. The police outside
were unable to restrain the crowd who
besieged the building inquiring for
friends inside. One man, who wanted
to rescue his brother and sister, raved,
tore his hair and menaced with stick
the people who stopped him from rush.
ing into the blazing building. The
scene outside was one of the widest
excitement. The falling embers struck
horses in the surrounding streets, cauS-
ing them to plunge and rear. The
flames shot out of every window. fore
ing the crowd into the narrow streets,
where the crush was terrific. The fig
urante says there were $50 persons on
the stage when the fire broke out. She
heard glass falling like hailstones, but
told the other girls not to mind it, but
while she was speaking column of
flame burst through the wings with a
roar, and all rushed pell-mell from the
stage. Many of the police were in
jured. 1t is still unknown how many
persons were unable to escape from the
building.
REMOVING THE VICTIMS.
PARIS, May 26.-The bodies of the
ballet dancers who lost their lives by
the burning of the Opera Comique last
night are lying in the heaps of the |
ruins of the theatre. The firemen as
sert that many bodies are lying in the
upper galleries and the number of per-
sons killed exceed previous estimates. |
An excited crowd surrounds the ruins, |
which are guarded by a military cor
don.
2 p. m,-TWenty bodies, In terribly |
mutilated condition, have been recov-
cred from the ruins. The remains are
principally those of ballet girls, chores |
tors and machinists. Five of the bodies |
are those of elderly ladies, and one of
them part of a child. The firemen are
lowering some of the bodies from the |
fourth story of the theatre by means
of ropes.
MORE BODIES RECOVERED.
Four p. m.-Twenty more bodies |
were recovered this afternoon from the |
ruins of the Theatre Comique. Search
for victims still continues.
Late this afternoon the bodies of |
eighteen ladies all in full dress were
found lying together at the bottom of |
the stair case leading from the second |
story. These ladies had escorts to the |
theatre but no remains Of the men
could be found anywhere.
BURNED IN THE DEBRIS.
The remains of three men and two
women were found in the stage box
where the victims had taken refuge |
from the flames. 1t is ascertained that |
many bodies lie buried in the debris in
the upper galleries, whence es- cape
was exceedingly difficult.
RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS.
The Chamber of Deputies voted
credit of 200, 900 francs for the relief of
the sufferers by the Opera Comique
fire.
FLOATING IN WATER.
To-day 156 missing persons have
been enquired for by relatives. They
are fuppOsed to have persisted in the
f1rmes. The bottom of the theatre is
flooded with water to a depth of five
feet: Sixty bodies have been found
floating in the water by firemen.
WILL AGAIN DECLINE.
It is reported that Freycinet finds
it impossible to form stable ministry
and that he will again decline to I'M
dertake the task.
PARNELL ACCUSED OF COERCION.
DUBLIN, May 26.-The Express, Con-
sentative, accuses Mr.. Parnell of cruelty
to one of his Avondale tenants named
Kennedy; the paper says that although
Kennedy had been tenant on the Irish
leaders estate fol nine years, Parnel
coerced him into exchanging the farm
he had occupied and improved for
tract of inferior land. In addition to
this. the paper says, he refused to make q
25 per cent reduction in rent requested
by Kennedy and has sued him for
years rent due only since April.
PLOT TO AssAssINATE THE SULTAN.
BUCHAREST. May ga plot to as
sassinate the Sultan of Turkey was
discovered last Thursday. Extraordi-
nary efforts have been made to conceal
the discovery from the public. The
fact of the plot on the Sultan is visible
in the terror he exhibits. He made his
usual weekly visit to the Mosque hur~
riedly instead of with his usual slow
and pompous parade.
TAKING OUT THE DEAD.
PARIS, May 27.-According to the
official report sixty bodies have been
recovered from the ruins OF the Opera
| Comidue ND to 2 o'clock this evening.
The municipal council voted 10000
| francs for the relief of the sufferers.
SEVENTEEN ACTORS MISSING.
PARIS, May 27.-The roll call of at
taches of the Opera Comique made to-
| day shows that seventeen actors and
employees are missing exclusive of
| supernumerarieS, who were engaged
nightly as they were needed, and OF
whom no record was kept.
| MORE BODIES RECO VERED.